RANGIRIRI ASSAULT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 19, 13 April 1927, Page 9

RANGIRIRI ASSAULT

FAMOUS ENGAGEMENT GOVERNMENT MEMORIAL UNVEILED TO-DAY Just to the north of Rangiriri railstation is a battlefield memorable for a gallant class of Maori and British forces on November 20, 1863. To-day the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. R. F. Bollard, unveiled the memorial gates to the military cemetery, which has recently been put in order by the Public Works Department. The whole area has been enclosed in a concrete wall surmounted with railings and pillars have been erected at the gateway. A granite slab bears a precis of the battle. The inscription reads: *‘On November 20, 1863, General

Cameron, with a force of 850, attacked the Maori entrenchments on the curve of the hill to the north of this burial-ground. The Maoris, in a strong redoubt, repulsed the naval and military storming-parties, but surrendered next morning. The British casualties were 49 killed and 87 wounded. The Maori losses were about 50 killed and 183 taken prisoners. This cemetery contains the graves of 46 of the British forces, together with many early settlers and natives. Few of the British graves could be identified when the Government effected improvements in 1925. The main road traverses the centre of the Maori position.” STORY OF THE BATTLE Traffic on the Great South Road goes through the old battlefield now. The natives had entrenched themselves about a mile westward of the present railway track, on the higher land. The British forces opened with a bombardment and afterwards stormed the heights and drove the Maoris out of the first line of entrenchments and out of their rifle pits. The central redoubt became the crux of the battle and though assault after assault was made upon it the Maoris still held it when darkness fell. Under cover of night many of the defenders escaped and in the morning the remainder hoisted the white flag. The prisoners numbered 183 and these were interned for several months on the hulk Marion in the Auckland Harbour and later taken to Kawau. In September, 1864, they made their escape to the mainland and ultimately found their way back to the Waikato.